Methods and apparatus for intermittent stimuli

Abstract

In exemplary implementations of this invention, stimuli are intermittently presented to the left or right side of a user. For example, this invention may comprise a method of presenting stimuli to a bilateral organism, which organism has a left side and a right side, wherein: (a) the stimuli are produced by at least one transducer, (b) the stimuli include an intermittent beat train, and (c) the beat train has a beat frequency that is substantially equal to 7.8×(1.618) n Hz, where n is an even integer, which even integer may be negative, zero or positive.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A method of presenting stimuli to a bilateral organism, which organism has a left side and a right side, wherein:
 (a) the stimuli are produced by at least one transducer; 
 (b) the stimuli comprise a first intermittent beat train and a second intermittent beat train; 
 (c) the first beat train has a first beat frequency and a first beat period and the second beat train has a second beat frequency and a second beat period; 
 (d) the first and second beat frequencies are substantially equal; 
 (e) during all of a time interval that lasts for at least two entire successive beat periods and that includes at least two sounded beats, beats in the first beat train lag beats in the second beat train by a time interval that is substantially equal to the first beat period times 0.382; 
 (f) the stimuli further comprise a third beat train and fourth beat train, which third and fourth beat trains are each intermittent, have a third beat frequency and a fourth beat frequency, respectively, and have a third beat period and a fourth beat period, respectively, the third and fourth beat frequencies being each substantially equal to the first beat frequency times 0.618; and 
 (g) during all of the time interval, beats in the third beat train lag beats in the fourth beat train by a second time interval that is substantially equal to the third beat period times 0.382. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the stimuli further comprise a fifth beat train and sixth beat train, which fifth and sixth beat trains are each intermittent, have a fifth beat frequency and a sixth beat frequency, respectively, and have a fifth beat period and a sixth beat period, respectively, the fifth and sixth beat frequencies being each substantially equal to the third beat frequency times 0.618, and 
 during all of the time interval, beats in the fifth beat train lag beats in the sixth beat train by a third time interval that is substantially equal to the fifth beat period times 0.382. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first and second beat frequencies are each substantially equal to 7.8 Hz, the third and fourth beat frequencies are each substantially equal to 4.8 Hz, and the fifth and sixth beat frequencies are each substantially equal to 3.0 Hz.